Car-coupling



, UNITED ST T S PATENT V OFFICE;

JAMES B. GlLLHAM, OF MERRITT, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,159, dated October 11, 1881. Application filed August 10, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES B. GILLHAM, ot' Merritt, in the county of Scott and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupler, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention belongs to that class of devices thatare self-couplers; and it consists of a draw-head having tongues projecting rearward into corresponding sockets or slots in the draw-bar and carrying springs on their ends, and provided, also,with a square collar fitting over the end of the draw-bar, said tongues having vertical perforations corresponding with the openings in the draw-bar for the reception of the coupling-pin, which latter, when coupling, holds both draw-head and coupling-link in position and it further consists of a peculiarly-shaped coupling-pin and novel devices for uncoupling and holding the coupling-pin uncoupled, all of which will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partly-sectional side elevation of the device applied to a car on line 00 at, Fig. 3, showing the manner in which a car is coupled. Fig. 2 is a partly-sectional side elevation of the same on line as m, Fig. 3, showing the manner in which a car is uncoupled. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional front elevation on line 3 y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, A represents a car.

13 is the draw-bar attached thereto, having three parallel slots or sockets, to a I), extending through its face rearward. The central socket, b, is of less depth than the others, and is designed to receive the coupling-link E. The sockets a a, one above and the other below the socket I), are designed to receive the tongues c c of the draw-head 0. Through the draw bar B is a vertical'aperture, (I, designed to receive the couplingpin F.

The face 0 of the draw-head C may be of any desired shape, but preferably with a flaring mouth, as shown at for convenience of coupling high or low. In the back of thehead:

of the draw-head O is a square groove, g,which forms a collar, It, all around the back of said head, and from the said head are two rearwardprojecting tongues, c c, that are designed to enter the draw-bar sockets to a, so that when said draw-head G is in place the collar h fits over the end of the draw-bar B ,-thereby preventing vertical or lateral movement of said draw-head G. On theends of said tongues c c are fixed spiral springs l l, that bear against the bottoms of the sockets a a, and thereby serve to force said draw-head O outward, so as to force that portion of the upper tongue 0 in rear of its aperture m, which portion may be called a stop, n, against the coupling-pin F, to hold the latter up, as shown in Fig. 2, when the cars are uncoupled, and also to force both stops n against said pin F, to hold. it steady when the cars are coupled.

In order to hold the cars uncoupled, even when their draw-heads arein contact, andcon- .sequently forced rearward against their respective draw-bars, a rod, G, provided with a handle, 0, reaching above the top of thecar A, and having a loop, 10, about midway of its length,'is connected with the head of the coupling-pin F, said rod G being supported in an upright position by a staple, s, in the front of the car A. By pulling up said rod G, and engaging the loop on a pin, 1, in the front of the car A, the said pin F is held in the position shown in Fig. 2.

In coupling cars the coupling-link E from an Opposit car enters the socket b, and the draw-headset the cars come in contact with each other with the effect of forcingthe drawhead 0 into the position shown in Fig. 1, (0 representing the draw-head of an opposite car,) whereby the tongues c c are forced rearward, and the coupling-pin F thereby released to drop through the apertures 01 m and link E. The pin F has a conical head, t, formed by reducing the said pin at t, andthe square shoulder of said head t, catching against the under side of the stop a of the npper'tongue a, prevents the said pin F from being too far with-- drawn.

About the top of the draw-bar B is secured a frame, 13, to restrict the lateral swinging of the pin' F when withdrawn from the said draw- IOO the fixed draw-bar B, provided wit-h slots a a, containing springs l l, apertures d, and the coupling-pin F, of the sliding draw-head G, provided with tongues 00, havin g apertures m, substantially as herein shown and described. 2. In a car-couplei",lthe combination, with the fixed draw-bar B,\lmving slots a a b and apertures d, movable socketed draw-head G, provided with tongues c 0, having apertures m, and springs L l, of the pin F, reduced at t, [O and having conical point t, whereby the pin is prevented from being too for withdrawn and the draw-head O retained in position, substantially as herein shown and described.

JAMES BECRAFD GlLLI-IAM.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM STEVENSON, GEORGE WATsoN. 

